Highway 666 Of Shiprock, New Mexico

I read that alot of scary and creepy incidents happen on this road, like packs of mean demon dogs who attack anyone pulling off, a phantom car that runs people off the road, a mad trucker who runs people down and a frail-looking girl in a nightgown.

Police records do indicate a higher than normal rate of deaths and accidents on this road.

Shiprock is in the extreme northwest courner of New Mexico, at the junction of U.S. Highway 64 and U.S. Highway 666. The Highway to Hell runs from Shiprock south to Gallop. U.S. Highway 666 is a two-hundred-mile-long road that runs from Utah to New Mexico through southwestern Colorado.

Location:Over the Hill and Through the Woods...Really just Over the Hill

Interests:My grandson!!

Posted 11 December 2004 - 06:13 PM

I found this bit of information on the hwy. There's alot of history surrounding this hwy. Lots and lots of info on the web of the towns this highway runs through.

The Fight Over 60 Changes the MapFollowing complaints from Kentucky and other States in the East that "60" should have been assigned to a transcontinental route through their States, the number "60" became the subject of the most protracted and bitter controversy involving the numbering plan. The compromise solution was to assign "60" to a route from Virginia Beach, Virginia, to Springfield, Missouri, and "66" to the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route. AASHO sent ballots to the States involved seeking approval. By August 7, 1926, enough States had approved the change for AASHO to consider the matter closed.

The change to "66" meant that the former branches of "60" had to be renumbered as branches of the new number. Therefore, the sixth branch, U.S. 660, became U.S. 666.

When the U.S. 60/66 controversy was resolved in early August, some additional adjustments were necessary to accommodate other changes that had occurred during the months since the Joint Board's report. Executive Secretary W. C. Markham wrote to the Executive Committee on August 11, 1926, to provide a copy of his letter to the State highway agencies involved in the 60/66 controversy notifying them that it had been resolved. He added:

In view of the settlement of this controversy it becomes necessary for us to change a ballot which you have already approved affecting New Mexico, and this is to advise that the ballots which I have on hand from you concerning this New Mexico adjustment will be changed to read as follows in the record:

Moved:

"That Route No. 285 between Raton and Route 66 south of Las Vegas be numbered 385, and that Route 466 between La Joya and Isleta be numbered 570 instead of 460."

This change meant that U.S. 66 would have only five branches, but the fifth would retain its number, 666. (On the ballots, "60" was converted to "66" by a pen mark on the zero.)

Interests:Ghoststudy...lol, I live for it. Hanging out with my family. Cleaning, cooking...blah blah blah, the usual stuff.

Posted 11 December 2004 - 06:29 PM

I know what highway I am not taking....I do not like that number, usually things don't bother me, like superstitions, but that does. I am half scared to drive as it is, let alone on a highway that is associated with that number.

I know that highway, it runs through the central eastern part of the Navajo Reservation. I've never heard anything scare about it from any of my extended family that lives on the land there - however they may have just been sparing me and it has been 7 or 8 years since I've been out there.

I'd love to hear some of the stories or accounts of the highway if anyone knows any

I saw this on an episode of "The Unexplained" that A&E used to run. (*sniff* I miss that show!!) Anyway, it was pretty freaky as I recall. I also read about it in a book called "Haunted Highways" by Dan Asfar (I believe that was his name anyway!)

I used to live in NM and drove that road a number of times. Nothing unusual. Regarding the story of “demon dogs” on an earlier post, there are lots of feral dogs on the Navaho Reservation, who occasionally eat people. I don’t know if the unfortunate victims were dead or alive. People hitchhike out there at night, and get caught in bad weather. The dogs ARE scary. I am afraid to get out of the truck when I see them.

Location:Over the Hill and Through the Woods...Really just Over the Hill

Interests:My grandson!!

Posted 28 December 2004 - 08:25 PM

QUOTE(TenSeven @ Dec 28 2004, 07:56 PM)

I used to live in NM and drove that road a number of times. Nothing unusual. Regarding the story of “demon dogs” on an earlier post, there are lots of feral dogs on the Navaho Reservation, who occasionally eat people. I don’t know if the unfortunate victims were dead or alive. People hitchhike out there at night, and get caught in bad weather. The dogs ARE scary. I am afraid to get out of the truck when I see them.

Yikes. That would be scary knowing you have a pretty darn good chance of becoming these dogs' dinner. They've got to be starving out there and well, they say we taste like pork

According to the folklore, Highway 666 is a road of the dead. The number of unidentified corpses found along the route over the years would be proof enough for such a claim, but the evidence is even more compelling. For the same force that draws killers to dump their victms along the side of this highway seems to manifest itself in a number of horrifying embodiments: visions of fear and evil are frequently reported on the thoroughfare, causing more than one road trip to be suddenly re-scheduled or cancelled altogather.

Such is the case of a man named Bill, (his name has been changed) a Salt Lake City native. "I was driving back home after a business trip to Alberquerue, and took highway 666 exit off I40 at Gallup. The sun was just starting to go down when I hit the 666. I've done a lot of driving throughout New Mexico, so I know all about the stories. They're everywhere, "Don't drive the 666 at night", "It's Satan's Speedway or the Highway to Hell", of course they say the worst thing you can do is drive the highway during a full moon. But at the time, I wasn't much of a believer, and I didn't even really think twice about the big fat orange moon that was coming up over the horizon." Bill wouldn't have paid attention to the moon at all if there hadn't been such a spectaular sunset. "Growing up in Utah, I've seen some pretty amazing skies at the end of the day, but I had never seen anything like this before. I mean these red clouds just came out of nowhere, looked like there was ink spilled across the sky. And when I say they were red, I mean they were really, REALLY red. It looked like the sky was bleeding. He hadn't been on the 666 long when this uneasy feeling started to creep up over him. To this day, Bill has difficulty putting the sensation into words. "I don't know how to describe it, but it had something to do with a reall strong feeling that I didn't belong on the road. Like the sun was taking a really long time to set, and there was this incredible light was all around. It wasn't just the sky, the whole desert turned red, everything was different shades of the same colour. My stomach started to get really tight, and all I wanted to do was just get off the road right then!Still more will finish!!! I promise!

there's been an ongoing debate here in Utah *of course. can't you tell i just LOVE living here..NOT* about changing the name of the Utah section of 666 and another, highway 6, because it's an "unholy number". i don't think it's going to change the number of accidents on either road, but hey whatever helps you sleep better at night i guess, ha ha ha.

I love hearing those stories, I remember watching stuff on it at various different times on A&E, Discovery and TLC ...i'm such a nerd

Interesting story, but there are a few things I'd like to point out based on the books I've been reading about the Navajo. They are a series of mysteries by Tony Hillerman, who is a recognised authority on the Navajo people.

This route is featured in the books as a common highway traveled by the characters as the Navajo Reservation covers a lot of Arizona.

First, the statement made by the author of what a skinwalker is, is slightly misleading. In the belief system of the Navajo, anyone can become a skinwalker or witch when they commit one of the taboos of the Navajo. Incest and murder are two of them I can recall. I believe there are two others. There is no concept of an evil Medicine Man to the Navajo.

Second, the Navajo do not have the same belief in or concept of good and evil known to white men. The belief of 666 being associated with satan is a concept of white men only. So there would be no reason for any Native American - Navajo or other nation - to point out incidents specifically on a highway called 666 simply due to its connotations.

Rowan, I've read a few of Tony Hillerman's books as well and really enjoyed them and learned a lot from them. However, it's been a while and I hadn't read any that mentioned skinwalkers, so I'm glad you made the clarification. Very interesting!